Free electrons are generated by the reaction of an alkaline metal, or alkaline earth metal, with water molecules during hydrolyzation. In previous electrolytic fuel cell designs as described in Ref. 1 and Ref. 4 the hydrolyzation of alkaline metals is carried out in the liquid state of the cell aqueous electrolyte. In the invention presented the hydrolyzation of the alkaline metal fuel is hydrolyzed in a turbulent air and water diffusion mist that is sprayed into a hydrolyzation chamber. The turbulent spray of air and water is hereinafter called a “diffusion stream” and the electrolytic fuel cell that employs this type of hydroxylation is termed an “electrolytic diffusion fuel cell”.
The turbulent flow of the air and water of the said diffusion stream is directed toward an exposed alkaline metal that has been placed on the surface of the fuel carrier tape of an alkaline electrode tape described in Ref. 3. In the design of electrolytic fuel tapes the alkaline metal carrier tape is the negative pole, or cathode pole of the cell.
During the operation of the fuel cell of the present invention the turbulent flow of the air and water of the said diffusion stream is directed toward an exposed alkaline metal that has been placed on the surface of a carrier tape of an alkaline electrode described in Ref. 3. The alkaline metal electrode is passed in front of the diffusion stream in a hydrolyzation chamber and the exposed alkaline metal hydrolyzed in a chemical reaction which ruptures the hydrogen bonds to the oxygen atom of the water molecules of the diffusion stream releasing electrons (e−) and protons (H+) into the gaseous stream of the diffusion stream. The released electrons are carried by electrical conduction in the gaseous stream into the inlet of an ionic capacitor described in Ref. 2. The electrons in the said gaseous stream possess a negative charge and are therefore by difference of static electrical potential attracted to the positively charged finned surfaces of an ionic capacitor. The electrons captured on the finned surfaces of the said ionic capacitor pass through an electrical conductor and are transferred to an electrolytic capacitor and are subsequently transferred to a load circuit which in the present design is a battery charging circuit for mobile charging.
Electricity is stored in an alkaline metal by the process of electrolysis. The amount of electricity stored in alkaline metals is termed its electrochemical equivalence when the metal is reduced to its purest elemental state. By the First Law of Thermodynamics the relative processes of electrolysis and hydrolysis are completely reversible processes. The amount of electricity released from a reduced alkaline metal during hydrolysis is equal to its electrochemical equivalence. To date only sodium produced from sodium chloride (NaCl) has attained a strong commercial importance as a reducing agent. In commercial production of sodium it is most generally produced from sodium chloride (NaCl) in a Downs cell. Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is cheaper as a raw material than sodium hydroxide (NaOH) feed stock produced in a Castner cell. Sodium Chloride (NaCl) has a melting point of. 1,481° F. as compared to 604° F. for NaOH. Because of the high melting point of NaCl it is expected that initial pool supply will be produced from Downs cell operation and recycled sodium will be produced from sodium hydroxide by the Castner cell process.
The Electrolytic Diffusion Fuel Cell is initially proposed as a mobile source for recharging batteries in an electrical powered vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. Vehicle battery capacity is specified as its fully charged capacity given in amp-hrs such that it is readily compared in terms of specific power in delivered torque and in specific energy for vehicle range, with the electrochemical equivalence of electrolysis of alkaline metals. The electrochemical storage capacity of the reactive alkaline metals and metal complexes proposed in the present invention are given in amp-hrs per pound in the table below.
ELECTROCHEMICAL STORAGE CAPACITYActive metal systemAmp-hrs/lbSodium (Na)528.71NaCa nodular567.73NaCaMg comples711.79Lithium1,751.99Calcium606.74Potassium311.00Magnesium999.90
The major problem experienced in the design of electrolytic fuel cells is the method of delivery of very small discrete quantities of alkaline metal fuels for hydrolyzation in the cell cathode reaction chamber. At higher delivery rates the kinetic and exothermic reaction of Group I metal fuels, Na and k, require blending with Group II metals, Ca and Mg to moderate the highly kinetic and exothermic reactions.
Two additional problems encountered in the design of electrolytic fuel cell systems is the static loss of stray electrons to surrounding cell conducting surfaces, and the disposal of spent electrolyte. The said static losses can be reduced by designing the contiguous surfaces near the hydration reaction zone from non-conducting insulative material in close contact with the metal strakes of the capacitor tuyere of Ref. 4 and by installing a conducting positively charged grid at the hydration reaction zone inlet to prevent upstream gaseous conduction. Spent electrolyte is used directly in coal scrubber systems of Ref. 5 to strengthen the hydrogen bond (H—H) between water spray molecules for increased retention strength of the capture medium. The gaseous component exiting the capacitor tuyere of Ref. 4 is rich in protons (H+) which may be passed through a polar ordinate chamber of Ref. 6 to increase the molecular weight of the water vapor component making moderating confinement of low reactive fuel rods accessible and more attractive cost-wise which will greatly alleviate the disposal process of enriched uranium spent rods from nuclear generating plants.
Excessive mechanical design of the (EDFC) Electrolytic Diffusion Fuel Cell is presented to demonstrate working practicality and logical means and does not constitute novelty. This excess mechanism is necessary to describe the logical manner of hydration of alkaline metals and alkaline earth metals in a diffusion of an air and water stream which constitutes the novelty of the invention.